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Historical Sketch 



-OF- 



Block Island. 



By WILLIAM P. SHEFFIELD. 



A 



HISTORICAL SKEl 



~n rn p 

J 



OF 



Block Island, 



BY 



^VILLIAM P. SHEFFIELD 



NEWPORT:"^,!. 

JOHN P. SANBORN & CO., MERCURY OFFICE, PRINTERS 

1876. 




Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1876, 

BY WILLIAM P. SHEFFIELD, 

In the OfRce of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 



BLOCK ISLAND. 



CHA^TErR /. 



This Island belonged to the Narragansetts, and its Indian 
name was Manisses. 

A writer in the North American Review informs us that 
it was visited by Varrazano, in 1524, who thought it resem- 
bled the Isle of Rhodes. He called it Claudia, in honor of 
the mother of his patron, Francis I, Emperor of France. 

In 152G Gomez entered Narragansett Bay and of course 
must have seen, if he did not visit, this Island. 

Adrian Block, in 1614, on the banks of the Hudson, 
built the first decked vessel built in the American Colonies; 
she was called " The Yacht. " 

De Laet, in his voyages, says that "Adrian Block, a 
Dutch navigator, sailed Eastward through the Sound and 
discovered several Islands, the last of which he called after 
his own name." 



BLOCK ISLAND. 



Isaac de Rasier, who went from the Dutch settlement at 
Manhaddoes, to visit Plymouth, in 1626, entered Narragansett 
Bay, which he called " Sloups Bay," and, from some point 
above Fall River, embarked and crossed to Plymouth, He 
must have seen this Island, and in his report to his home 
government, he says that the Dutch were already carrying 
on a prosperous trade with the Indians on this bay, so that 
this Island was probably then well known to his countrymen. 
De Rasier says that the trading with these Indians by the 
Dutch was a source of uneasiness with the people of Ply- 
mouth at this time. ^ 

The English from Massachusetts visited the Island, for 
purposes of trade, as early as 1636 ; 5th month, 20tli of 
that year, one John Oldham, who had been banished from 
Pl3auouth, and had taken up his residence in Watertown, 
was killed by the Indians at the Island, upon his return, 
accompanied l)y two English boys, from a trading expedition 
to the Pequot country. 

Lion Gardner says that the Indians of the Island traded 
with the Dutch the gold pieces of which they robbed Oldham. 
John Gallop discovered Oldham's boat, on board of which 
were fifteen or sixteen Indians, eleven of whom he frightened 
so that they jumped overboard and were drowned, one was 
afterwards thrown overboard after he was bound for fear 
that he might get loose and do some mischief, and probably 
the others concluded to follow their companions. 

The murder of Oldham was brought to the notice of 
Canonicus, who sent Miantinomah with two hundred Indians 
to take revenge on the Island Indians for the offence. 
Miantinomah recovered the two English boys and delivered 
them to Roger Williams who sent them home to Massachu- 
setts. Miantinomah also arrested two of the Indians who 



BLOCK ISLAND. 



were engaged in the murder, one of whom died suddenly 
and the other was delivered to the authorities in Massachu- 
setts to be taught a lesson in the habits of civilized life, 
which, if the Indian ever comprehended, he soon forgot. 

Massachusetts fitted out an expedition of ninety men 
under John Underbill, Nathaniel Turner and Captain Jenny- 
son, over whom was John Endicott, and commissioned this 
expedition to put to death the Indians at the Island, and to 
bring away the women and children. When the expedition 
arrived at the Island, the Indians made some show of resist- 
ance, but soon fled to the woods, which contained no good 
timber. The English could not find the Indians but found 
two plantations, three miles asunder, and about sixty wig- 
wams, some of which were very large and fair, and about 
two hundred acres of Indian corn, some of which was 
gathered and laid in heaps. The English remained two 
days at the Island, and burned the wigwams and mats and 
some of the corn, and stove the canoes of the Indians, and 
departed. 

The Rev. Samuel Niles, in his History of the French and 
Indian Wars, says that long before the English settled the 
Island, and perhaps before there was any white settlement 
in this land, as he was told by some of the old men among 
the Indians, when the Mohegans and the Narragansetts were 
at war, the Indians started from the Island, one clear moon- 
light night, to go to the Mohegan country to attack their 
enemies; that they had not gone far from the Island when 
in the glade of the moon the Island Indians saw the canoes 
of the Mohegan Indians coming in the direction of the 
Island. The Island Indians immediately put back to the 
Island, and lan-ded near a swamp on the South-west part of 
the Island and drew their canoes into the swamp where they 



6 BLOCK ISLAND. 



hid themselves and waited until the Mohegan warriors land- 
ed and marched past into the Island, then the Island Indians 
destro3^ed the canoes of their enemies, and followed the 
Mohegan warriors, and finally surrounded them on the top 
of a high bluff on the South-east part of the Island, and there 
held them until they were exhausted and died of starvation. 

This Island was claimed to be a part of Massachusetts, no 
doubt by conquest, up to the granting to Rhode Island of 
the charter by Charles II, which was accepted in 1663. 

October 19th, 1658, the General Court of Massachusetts 
granted this Island to Governor John Endicott, in consid- 
eration of his great services to the country; to Richard 
Bellingham, Deputy Governor, for his good services ; to Major 
General Daniel Dennison, in respect to his great pains in 
transcribing the laws, and to Major William Hawthorne, in 
regard to his surrendering seven hundred acres of land 
granted liim; to each one quarter part. 

From the narrative of the Commissioners from England 
to New England we learn that John Alcock, a physician, 
having bought Block Island of some of Boston, who took 
upon them power never granted them to sell it, desireth that 
he may not be dispossessed of it. The Royal Commissioners 
lost Alcock's petition, but I am not aware that any effort 
was ever made to dispossess Alcock and his associates of the 
Island, if, indeed, the Island was not guaranteed to its 
purchasers by the charter. 

August 7th, 1660, Simon Ray, Thomas Terry, Thomas 
Faxon, Hugh Williams, Samuel Dearing, Richard Ellis, Peter 
George and Philip Wharton, met at the house of John 
Alcock in Roxbury to confer about the purchase of Block 
Island, and they agreed with Alcock to purchase the Island 
proportionally They also had a consultation about erecting 



BLOCK ISLAND. 



a plantation thereon ; they considered the remoteness of the 
place, the cost by land and sea, and that it could not be set- 
tled without great charge. Then some began to decline, 
but the remainder proceeded and voted that all concerned 
in the land should be at equal charge in the expense of the 
settlement. 

John Alcock, Philip Wharton, Hugh Williams, Thomas 
Terry, Samuel Bearing and Simon Ray undertook the 
building of a barque for the transportation of cattle to the 
Island. Simon Ray, Thomas Terry and Samuel Dearing 
should build the hull, and John Alcock, Hugh Williams and 
Philip Wharton should provide the sails and rigging. And 
considering there was no harbor Simon Ray and Samuel 
Dearing built a shallop, at their own cost, for the quicker 
and better transportation of passengers. William Rose was 
master of the barque, and William Edwards and Samuel 
Staples undertook the sailing of the shallop around the 
cape. 

In the beginning of April, 1661, the barque sailed from 
Braintree, and the shallop received its passengers at Taun- 
ton. The passengers embraced the nine persons that met at 
Dr. Alcock's. 

The next proprietors' meeting was held the following 
September, 1st Tuesday, at the house of Philip Wharton in 
Boston. They chose Mr. Noyes their surveyor to divide 
their lands, and took into consideration the subject of the 
maintenance of a minister, and voted that a proportion of 
their land should be laid out for that purpose and to contin- 
ue for that use forever. The narration, of which this is the 
substance, extended in detail, remains upon the records of 
this ancient township in the handwriting of Simon Ray. 



BLOCK ISLAND. 



By a deed made by Thomas Terry to certain Indian 
chiefs, dated March 8th, 1663, it appears that John Alcock, 
Peter Tallman, Samuel Bearing and Thomas Terry had 
purchased the Indian title to the entire Island, 

It may be worthy of remark here that the name of Rose, 
the commander of the barque, is the only name of a first 
settler which is represented among the present population of 
the Island. It is highly probable that some of the pur- 
chasers never removed their families to the Island. In 1662, 
James Sands, who had formerly resided in Portsmouth, 
which place he left with Ann Hutchinson for whom he 
attempted to ])uild a house at East Chester in New York, but 
was driven away by the Indians, united in the settlement at 
Block Island. He built there a stone house to which the 
inhabitants were in the habit of resorting for protection in 
times of danger. Joseph Kent of Swansey joined the settle- 
ment either in 1662 or 1663. 

Block Island was settled by Massachusetts Puritans, and 
with the exception perhaps of James Sands, had but little 
sympathy with the people or the institutions of Rhode 
Island, and upon the authority of the grandson of Mr. Sands, 
he did not differ in religious belief from the other settlers on 
the Island. 

At the March session of the General Assembly, 166|, 
the governor and deputy governor were desired to de<?lare 
unto their friends, the inhabitants of Block Island, that they 
were under the care of the General Assembly, and that they 
admit not any other to have rule over them, and that James 
Sands, who was a freeman of the colony, be requested to 
come to the governor and deputy governor to take his 
engagement as constable and conservator of the peace, and 



BLOCK ISLAND. 9 



that the most able and deserving men be warned into the 
next court, in May, to be informed of their privileges and to 
be made free of the colony. 

At the May session, James Sands and Joseph Kent peti- 
tioned the Assembly, in behalf of themselves and their 
associates, that the householders on the Island be admitted 
free of the colony. Roger Williams, Thomas Olney and 
James Torry were appointed by the Assembly to draw up 
their thoughts, and commit them to the Assembly for its 
further approbation with reference to the preserving his 
majesty's peace at the Island. 

At the same session of the Assembly, Sands and Kent and 
Thomas Terry presented a petition ancilliary to the one first 
presented. To these petitions the General Assembly made 
the reply contained in the Colonial Records, Vol. II, p 53, 
etc. The Assembly accepted the list of freemen, commis- 
sioned Sands and Terry to call the inhabitants, mentioned in 
the petition, together, and to read to them the orders of the 
court for their present regulation, to inform them that they 
were to be owned as freemen. That Messrs. Sands and Kent 
were to take from the inhabitants a writing under their 
hands, that they appointed them (S. and K.) to request the 
court to admit them as freemen and that they then desired 
the same. That they would bear clue faith and allegiance 
to his majesty, Charles II, his heirs and successors. That 
they would yield obedience to the colony, and a record was 
to be made of the names of the freemen, and the writing 
thus taken should be sent to the general recorder. Sands 
and Terry were by the Assembly appointed selectmen, and 
the freemen were to elect a third selectman. They were 
also to elect a clerk and constable, and to engage in the 



10 BLOCK ISLAND. 



colony's name to every officer elected, that the colony will 
stand by thera in the discharge of their places and offices. 

Judicial power up to forty shillings was given to the 
selectmen, and the Assembly intimate that if the people of 
the Island will bear the charge they may send two deputies 
to the General Assembly. 

The Recorder was authorized to give the colon}^ a cop}- 
of the laws for a small and equal consideration, and the 
Assembly judged it to be its duty to signify his majesty's 
most gracious pleasure vouchsafed in these words, viz: 
"That no })erson within the said colony at any time here- 
after shall be in any way molested, punished, disquieted, or 
called in question for any difference of opinion in matters of 
religion, that do not actually disturb the civil peace of the 
said colony." 

In 10G4, the list of freemen was James Sands, Joseph 
Kent, Thomas Terry, l^eter George, Simon Ray, William 
Harris, Samuel Dt'uring, John Rathbone, John Davis, Sam- 
uel Staples, Hugh Williams, Robert Guttor}", William Tosh, 
Tormot Rose, William Gaboon, Tristam Dodge, John 
Clarke and William Barker. Hugli Williams had made 
some expressions inimical to the colony, which he was to 
retract before he could act as a freeman. 

From 1663 to 1672, Avhen the town was incorporated, the 
colonists appeared to be in some uncertainty as to whether 
they were rightfully a part of Massachusetts or of Rhode 
Island. Ihey })r()l)al)ly differed in opinion as to which 
colony they wouhl prefer to belong; and during this period 
their government was a pure democracy, subject to no law 
superior to their own will. Then "it was ordered, that 
Joseph Billington plant and suftieiently tend three acres of 
Indian corn the next year ensuing, ard so yearly during his 



BLOCK ISLAND. H 



abode here, and if he do not he shall depart the Island." It 
was also "ordered, that the town's book shall be constantly 
kept in the hands of the town clerk, and a town clerk to be 
chosen yearly for that end who can both read and write." 

A second plat of the Island was made by James Sands, 
Sen., John Rathbone, Sen., and John Williams. 

There was evidently a party on the Island that favored 
the idea of their being within the Rhode Island Colony, and 
James Sands was the leader of this party. 

At the May session of the General Assembljs 1665, the 
freemen of the Island elected Thomas Terry and James 
Sands to represent them in the General Assembly. The 
General Assembly, after a preamble and admonition, con- 
cluded to admit the members. 

At the same session of the General Assembly, upon the 
petition of Thomas Terry, it was ordered that the governor, 
deputy governor and Mr. John Clarke take the pains 
to go to Block Island to see and judge whether there be a 
possibility to make a harbor, etc., and what conveniency 
there may be to give encouragement for a trade of fishing. 

In May, 1670, Thomas Terry and Hugh Williams peti- 
tioned the General Assembly, that they might have the 
countenance of the government in proceeding to make a 
convenient harbor there. The General Assembly ordered 
that Caleb Carr and Joseph Torry of Newport, be desired 
and authorized to use their endeavors in persuading con- 
tributions and to keep an account, and to see that the 
money be improved to the matter intended, and not other- 
wise embezzled, provided that the harbor be free and 
common to all his majesty's liege people, as any other 
harbor in tha colony is or shiU ba, without toll or impost. 



12 BLOCK isla:td. 



The inhabitants of the Island were incorporated under a 
charter granted them, as the town of New Shoreham, at the 
October session of the General Assembly, 1672. 

The town was authorized by the charter to elect a head- 
warden and a deputy-warden. These officers were to call 
town-meetings, to be magistrates, and with the other persons 
elected for that purpose, were to constitute the town council. 
The wardens when the exigency arose for a jury trial, had 
the power to procure a jury, to assist them in the administra- 
tion of justice. 

The town at the request and for the reasons assigned 
by the inhabitants, and as a sign of unity and likeness to 
many parts of our native country, was . called New Shore- 
ham, probably from Shoreham in the county of Sussex in 
England. 

In 1678, the new comers were added to the list of 
freemen ; and the entire list was recorded and embraced the 
following names, viz : James Sands, Simon Kay, Peter 
George, John Williams, Robert Guttory, John Sands, John 
Rathbone, Sen., Nathaniel Niles, James Sands, Jr., Thomas 
Mitchell, John Rathbone, Jr., Thomas Rathbone, Tristam 
Dodge, Jr., Samuel George, William Dodge, John Dodge, 
John Grinnal, Nathaniel Briggs, Daniel Tosh, Termot Rose, 
[illegible], Tristam Dodge, Sen., Edward Ball, John Ackers, 
William Erode, Benjamin Niles, and William Rathbone ; 
20th August, 1682, Nathaniel Winslow, Nathaniel Mott and 
John Mott were added to the list ; Nathaniel Coddington 
was added in 1683 ; Josiah Holling, Joshua Billington, 
William Carder and William Hancock in 1684; James 
Danielson was there in 1685 ; Dr. John Rodman and Job 
Carr, both Quakers, were admitted, April 7th, 1690, and 



BLOCK ISLAND. 13 



Joshua Raymond, November 17th, of the same year. Many 
of these persons were not admitted free of the colony until 
long after they were free of the town. Richard Cozzens, 
though not a freeman, was at the Island in 1683, and Roger 
Kenyon also went there soon after. 



CHAfPTE^ II. 

The Rev. Samuel Niles relates the following, viz : " I 
met with Captain James Babcock, late of Westerly, in 
Rhode Island government, not many miles distant from 
Ninicraft's fort, a gentleman of known, fidelity and of 
uncommon generosity ; and living near those Indians, was 
well acquainted with them and their manners. As we were 
together viewing the remains of Ninicraft's fort, he told me 
that in the time of Philip's war, as it was called in Plymouth 
and Massachusetts, Ninicraft was informed that three of his 
men were privately withdrawn, and had joined in the war 
against the English. Upon their return, Ninicraft cut off 
the feet of these men at their ancles, and then bid them run 
away to the war if they could. In that condition they 
crawled about until they died.'" This Babcock said the 
Indians told him. " At Block Island, where I was born, 
some time after the Island began to be settled by the Eng- 
lish, there then being but sixteen Englishmen and a boy, 
and about three hundred Indians, the Indians were wont, 
some of them, to treat the English in a surly, lordly manner, 
which moved the English to suspect they had some evil 
designs in hand ; and it being in the time of Philip's war, 
there was a large stone house garrisoned, erected by James 
Sands, Esq., one of the first settlers. To this garrison the 
women and children were gathered. But this was not 
esteemed a suffi3ient defence against such a great number of 



BLOCK ISLAND. 15 



Indians as were then on the Island. They therefore kept a 
very watchful eye on them, especially when they had got a 
considerable quantity of rum among them and they got 
drunk, as is common with them, and then they were ready 
for mischief. Once, wlien they had a large keg of rum, and 
it Avas feared by the English what might be the consequence, 
Mr. Thomas Terry, then an inhabitant there, the father of 
the present Colonel Terry, Esq., of Freetown, who had 
gained the Indian tongue, went to treat with them as they 
were gathered together on a hill that had a long descent to 
the bottom; where he found their keg or cask of rum, with 
the bung out, and began to inquire who had supplied them 
Avith it. They told him Mr. Arnold, who was a trader on 
Rhode Island. Upon which he endeavored to undervalue 
him and prejudice their minds against him ; and in their cups 
they soon pretended that they cared as little for Mr. Arnold 
as he did. He told them, that if they spake the truth, they 
should prove it, which is customary among them, and the 
proof he directed was, to kick their keg of rum, and say, 
' Tuckisha Mr. Arnold ;' the English is, ' I don't care for 
Mr. Arnold \ which one of them presently did, and with his 
kick rolled it down the hill, the bung being open, as was 
said ; and by the time it came to the bottom, the rum had all 
run out. By this srategem, the English were made easy 
for this time. 

" The Indians still insulting and threatening the English 
people, they became more cautious and watchful over them. 
About this time, or perhaps not long after, Ninicraft himself 
came over to visit this part of his dominions, as these 
islanders were his subjects, but his own seat was on the 
mainland over against them. And there came with him a 
number of his chief men, with many others, which gave the 



16 BLOCK ISLAND. 



English new grounds of suspicion, fearing what might be 
their design, as they were drinking, dancing and revelling 
after their usual customs at such times. Whereupon the 
English went to parley Avith them, and to know what their 
intentions were. The before mentioned James Sands, Avho 
was the leading man among them, entered into a wigwam, 
where he saw a very tine l)rass gun standing, and an Indian 
fellow lying on a bench in the wigwam, jirobably to guard 
and keep it. Mr. Sands's curiosity led him to take and 
view it, as it made a curious and uncommon appearance. 
Upon which the Indian fellow rises up hastily and snatches 
the gun out of his hand, and withal gave such a violent 
thrust with the Ijutt end of it as occasioned him to stagger 
l)ackward. But feeling something under his feet, he espied 
it to l)e a hoe, which he took up and improved, and with it 
fell upon the Indian. Upon which a mighty scufHe ensued, 
the English and Indians on the outside of the wigwam 
closing in one with another ; which probably would have 
issued in the destruction of the whole English party, as they 
were l)ut a handful in comparison with the great number of 
Indians, into whose hands they seemed then to have fallen, 
liad not God, by a remarkable instance of his power, pre- 
vented it. For, in the time of this tumult and impending 
tragedy, Ninicraft, who was at that time on the Island, was 
retired into a hot-house ; there ran a messenger from the 
company and acquainted him with the affair. Upon which 
he came with all haste, and running into the wigwam, took 
a scarlet colored coat, and brought it out, swinging it round 
among the people as they Avere scuffling, and cries, ' King 
Charles I King Charles I' — intimating thereby that as they 
all were King Charles's subjects they ought not to contend ; 
which broke up the fray, and they became peaceable and 



BLOCK ISLAND. 17 

friendly together for that time. This coat and gun were 
likel}^ sent by King Charles to Ninicraft, to engage his fidel- 
ity and friendship more strongly to the English. 

" As I have mentioned the hot-house into which Ninicraft 
was at this time retired, it may not be amiss to acquaint my 
reader with the make, use, and design of the hot-houses 
among the aboriginal natives in this country, and perhaps 
in others also. 

••' They were made as a vault, partly under ground, and in 
the form of a large oven, where two or three persons might 
on occasion sit together, and it was placed near some depth 
of water; and their method was to heat some stones very hot 
in the fire, and put them into the hot-house, and when the 
person was in, to shut it close up, with only so much air as 
was necessary for respiration, or that they within might freely 
draw their breath. And being thus closely pent up, the heat 
of the stones occasioned them to sweat in a prodigious man- 
ner, streaming as it were from every part of the body; and 
when they had continued there as long as they could well 
endure it, their method was to rush out and plunge them- 
selves into the water. By this means they pretend a cure of 
all pains and numbness in their joints, and many other mala- 
dies. 

"Another instance of the remarkable interposition of 

Providence in the preservation of these few English people 

in the midst of a great company of Indians ; the attempt 

was strange and not easily to be accounted for, and the 

event was as strange. The Indians renewing their insults, 

with threatening speeches, and offering smaller abuses, the 

English, fearing the consequences, resolved, these sixteen 

men and one boy, to make a formal challenge to fight this 

great compan}- of Indians, near or full out three hundred, iu 
3 



18 BLOCK ISLAND. 

open pitched battle, and appointed the day for this effort. 
Accordingly, when the day came, the before mentioned Mv. 
Teny, living on a neck of land remote from the otlier Eng- 
lish iidiabitants, just as he was coming out of his house in 
order to meet them, saw thirty Indians with their guns very 
bright, as though they were titted for war. He incj^nired 
from whence they came. They replied, from Narragansett; 
and that they were Ninicraft's men. He asked their Imsi- 
ness. They said, to see their relations and friends. And 
for what reason they brought their guns? The}' rejjlied, 
l)ecanse they knew not what game the}' might meet with in 
their way. He told them that they must not carry their 
guns any farther, but deliver them to him ; and when they 
returned, he would deliver them back to them safely. To 
which they consented, and he secured them in his house, and 
withal told them they must stay there until he had got past 
the fort ; as he was to go by it within gunshot over a narrow 
beach between two ponds. The Indians accordingly all sat 
down very quietly, but stayed not long after him ; for he had 
no sooner passed by the fort but the Indians made their 
appearance on a hill, in a small neck of land called by the 
English Indian-head-neck. And the reason of its being so 
called was, because when the English came there, they found 
two Indians' heads stuck upon poles standing there. — 
Whether they were traitors or captives, I know not. When 
they at the fort saw those thirty Indians that followed Mr. 
Terry, they made a mighty shout ; but Mr. Terry had, as I 
observed, but just passed by it. 

" However, the English, as few as they were, resolved to 
pursue their design, and accordingly marched with their 
drum beating up a challenge, (their drummer was Mr. Kent, 
^fter of Swansey), and advanced within gunshot of it, as far 



BLOCK ISLAND. 19 



as the water would admit them, as it was on an island in a 
pond, near to and in plain sight of the place of my nativity. 
Thither they came with utmost resolution and warlike cour- 
age and magnanimity, standing the Indians to answer their 
challenge. Their drummer being a very active and sprightly 
man, and skilful in the business, that drum, under the over- 
ruling power of Providence, was the best piece of their 
armor. The Indians were dispirited to that degree that 
they made no motions against them. The English after 
inquired of them the reason of their refusing to fight with 
them, when they had so openly and near their fort made 
them such a challenge. They declared that the sound of the 
drum terrified them to that degree, that they were afraid to 
come against them. From this time the Indians became 
friendly to the English ; and ever after. In this instance 
also God appeared for the defence of this small number of 
English people in their beginnings ; for it was not the rat- 
tling, roaring sound of the drum, which doubtless they had 
heard Ijefore this time, but Divine sovereignty made this a 
means to intimidate them, and restrain their cruel and bar- 
barous dispositions." 




CHA(PTE^ 111. 



"Some time in JiUy, 1689, three French privateer vessels 
came to Block Island ; upon which the people were alarmed, 
not then knowing whether they were English or French. 
The vessels were a large barque, a barge, a large sloop, and a 
lesser one. They had an Englishman with them, one Wil- 
liam Trimming, who was wont treacherously to decoy and 
betray those they met with at sea, pretending they were 
Englishmen, as he had the perfect use of the English tongue. 
Him they sent on shore with some men in a periauger, 
which lay off at a small distance ; whilst he took the advan- 
tage of stepping from one rock to another, and came alone 
to the islanders Avho were standing on the shore in arms; 
who inquired of him who they were, and from whence they 
came, and whither they were bound, and their captain, or 
commodore's name. To Avhich he answered, their commo- 
dore was George Astin, (of whom they had often lieard as a 
noted privateer, that had done great exploits against the 
French and Spaniards in the West Indies), and that they 
were Englishmen, — when they were a mixed company, 
mostly French, with some Spaniards and Mestizos, and their 
Captain's name was Pekar, a Frenchman ; that they came 
from Jamaica, and were bound into Newport on Rhode 
Island, (which was so far true, that their design was to take 
and rifle that town), that they wanted a pilot to conduct 



BLOCK ISLAN'D. 21 



them into the harbor, and that they wanted to be supplied 
with some wood and water, and fresh provisions for their 
money. This was a plausible and very pleasing account to 
the inhabitants, though perfidiously false in the articles of 
greatest importance. What farther confirmed their credit in 
the case was, there happened to be a stranger on the island 
at that time, and then among the people, who pretended a 
particular acquaintance with Captain Astin, and also sent 
his , compliments to him ; so that, upon the whole, the 
islanders were very well satisfied, and fearless of danger. 
Upon having thus told his story. Trimming, doubtless much 
pleased, went off to the periauger that waited for him. He 
having made a motion for a pilot to Newport, which was 
about ten leagues distant from them, several that had sailed 
to and from thence, in hopes of some great reward, went on 
board. They no sooner were got there, but they were im- 
mediately clapped down under the hatches, and examined 
on the strengtli of Newport, and of Block Island ; and find- 
ing this last not able to resist them, they resolved to play 
their game in plundering the people of this island. Ac- 
cordingi}^ manning their three periaugers with about 50 
men in each of them, they made to the harbor, having their 
guns all lying in the bottom of their boats out of sight ; 
where the people met them, and were something amused 
at their great number. But being well satisfied, as they 
thought, there was no monkery in the case, therefore in a 
ver}^ friendly manner directed them to shun some sunken 
rocks that lay at the entrance into the harbor ; and to re- 
quite their kindness, as they laid to the wharf, every one of 
them started up with his gun presented, and told the peoj^le 
if they stirred from the place, or made resistance, they 
were dead men. Thus tamely and unexpectedly, to their 



22 BLOCK ISLAND. 



great surprise, they were all taken and made prisoners of 
war. As for tlieir coming in such great numbers, as before 
is noted, which at first gave the people some grounds of sus- 
picion, to this they were soon reconciled, supposing that 
they were willing to walk and divert themselves on the land, 
as they had been a long time at sea. So that all circumstan- 
ces seemed to concur, by the treachery of this Trimming, to 
make them an easy prey to their enemies. 

"As they were thus become masters of the island, they dis- 
armed the men, and stove their guns to pieces on the rocks, 
and carried the people and confined them in the house of 
Captain James Sands, before mentioned, which was large and 
accommodal)le for their purpose, and not far from the harbor. 
This they made their prison, and place of rendezvous, and 
soon set upon j)lundering houses, and killing cattle, sheep 
and hogs, some to feed on, others for waste and spoil, and to 
impoverish the inhabitants. One instance among others, 
was their shooting a large cow that had a very full bag, and 
the rather as she had not been milked for some time ; and 
for no other reason, as was said, tlian to cut off her bag and 
carry on board their vessel to suck the milk out of her teats, 
leaving her to rot on the ground, as they did many other 
creatures. 

" However, news quickly reached to the main, that Block 
Island was taken by the French ; upon which the countr}^ 
was alarmed, and bonfires made from Pawcatuck Point, 
which is the utmost extent of Rhode Island government 
next to Connecticut, and from thence round on Rhode Island 
to Seconet Point, which then was the farthest part of the 
Massachusetts government, but is now taken into the gov- 
ernment of Rhode Island, upoji a late overture of that affair ; 
whether justly or not it is neither my province nor purpose 



BLOCK ISLAND. 23 



now to determine. They continued about a week on the 
ishmd, plundering , houses, stripping the people of their 
clothing, ripping up beds, throAving out the feathers, and 
carrying away the ticking. 

"In this time they offered great ul)uses to Simon Ray, Esq., 
an aged gentleman, who lived somewhat remote in the 
island, and had not removed his money nor choicest part of 
his goods out of his house until they saw a company of the 
enemy at a distance coming thither. He and his son, (who 
was of the same name, and after bore the like distinguishing 
characters of honor and usefulness that his father had done 
before, who is now lately deceased also), as there was no 
minister in the place, were wont, in succession, in a truly 
Christian, laudable manner, to keep a meeting in their own 
house on Lord's days, to pray, sing a suitable portion of the 
Psalms, and read in good sermon books, and as they found 
occasion, to let drop some words of exhortation in a religious 
manner on such as attended their meeting. Upon the sight 
of the French coming, the son (then a young man) with the 
servants carried out some chests and what they could most 
readily convey out of the house, and hid them, and them- 
selves also. When the Frenchmen came into the house, 
they found only the old gentleman and his Avife ; all the rest 
of the family were fled. The Frenchmen demanded his 
money. He told them he had none at his command. They 
observing, by the signs on th^ floor, that chests and other 
things were lately removed, and' the money which they prin- 
cipally aimed at, asked him Avhere they were. He told them 
he did not know, for his people had carried them out, and he 
could not tell where they put them. They l)id him call his 
folks, that they might bring them again ; which he did, but 
had no answer, for they Avere all fled out of hearing. They 



24 BLOCK ISLAND. 



l)eing- thus disappointed, one of them in a violent rage, got a 
piece of a rail, and struck him on his head therewith, and in 
such fury that tlie blood instantly gushed out and ran on the 
tloor. Upon whicli his wife took courage, and sharply repre- 
liended them for killing her husl)an(l, which she then sup- 
posed they had done. Upon this they went oft", without the 
game they expected. After the How of blood was over, he 
recovered his health, and lived many years in his former re- 
ligious usefulness, as before is noted. 

"Another man they used barbarously, l)y tricing him up 
and whipping him in an unmerciful manner, to make him 
confess where his money was, and l)ring it to them ; when 
at the same time, as he declared to them, he had none or 
next to none. The case was this, (as I understood it). 
They inquired of some one or more of the people. Who were 
the likeliest among them to have money? They told them 
of John Rathl)un, who was the most likely. This poor 
man bearing his father's name, (they supposing him to be 
the person), suffered this cruelty in the room of his father, 
who escaped l)y that means with his money. 

" In the time of these privateers' stay on the Island, they 
killed two negro men, one belonging to the above mentioned 
Mr. Ray, if I mistake not, and the other to Captain John 
Sands, who is also mentioned before ; and two other negro 
fellows ran from their master, and voluntarily resigned them- 
selves to the French, of whom there was no further account 
what became of them. They were Dr. John Rodman's ser- 
vants. He was a gentleman of great ingenuity, and of an 
affable, engaging behavior, of the profession of them called 
Quakers. He also kept a meeting in his house on the Sab- 
baths, with exhortations unto good works, after the manner 
of the teachers in that society, but more agreeably than I 



BLOCK ISLAND. 25 

suppose is common with them, whose meetings I had attend- 
ed often in my younger time. It was said of him, when 
these Frenchmen came to his house, one of them essayed to 
lead his wife (who was also a very desirable gentlewoman) 
into a private room, but Mr. Rodman stepped into the door- 
way and prevented him ; upon which the ruffian cocked his 
pistol, threatening to shoot him. He opened his clothes on 
his breast, replying, '.Thee mayst do it if thou pleasest, but 
thou slialt not al)use my wife.' While they remained riding 
in the bay they took two vessels bound up the Sound, one 
laden with steel mostly, which they sunk; the other was 
laden with wine and spirituous liquors, which they purposed 
to carry off with them, but they Avere prevented, as we shall 
find afterwards. 

" The privateers perceiving, by the bonfires before spoken 
of, that the country was alarmed, and perhaps, by those 
that had gone on board them with hopes of becoming their 
pilots, before mentioned, being informed of the strength and 
numbers of men on Rhode Island, were discouraged making 
an attempt on Newport ; therefore determined to attack New 
London. Accordingly they sailed thither, and up into the 
harbor. The country being before alarmed, as was said, and 
having had intelligence of their approach, the men in the 
bordering towns came down in great numbers ; and the fort 
with their great guns firing on them, they found the harbor 
too hot for them. They therefore drew off, and concluded 
to return to Block Island, and renew their spoils and plun- 
der there. Some of their company went on an Island called 
Fisher's Island, lying near New London, and among others 
this treacherous fellow. Trimming, before spoken of, of 
which they had some intelligence at Stonington. Upon 

which 17 men went from thence over to the island, which 
4 



26 BLOCK ISLAND. 



is not far distant in the easternmost end. There was but 
one house on the island, though about nine miles in length, 
where this party of Frenchmen were at that time. The 
English got near the house before they were discovered; 
upon which Trimming came out to them, in a pretended 
friendly manner, drawing his gun l)ehind him. They de- 
manded who and from whence they were. He replied, they 
were cast-aAvay men. One of the IJngiishmen replied, 'If 
you are friends, lay down your gun, and come behind us.' 
Immediatel}' Mr. Stephen Richardson, as was supposed 
through surprise, shot him dead on the spot, for which act 
he was much blamed. ' Thus he that delighted in falsehood 
in his life, died with a lie in his mouth, and received, it 
seems, the just reward of his perfidious, villanous and multi- 
plied treacheries. 

" AVhilst these French privateers were making an attempt 
at New London, the people of Newport fitted out two vessels 
from thence with volunteers to engage them, supposing they 
were still at Block Island. These vessels were sloops, un" 
der the command of Captain and Commodore Paine, who 
had somg years before followed the privateering design, and 
Captain John Godfrey, his second; and inquiring for the 
French, they were told, that when they left the island they 
shaped their course westward toward Ncav London; upon 
which our English vessels streched off to the southward, 
and soon made a discovery of a small fleet standing east- 
ward. Supposing them to l)e the French they were in quest 
of, they tacked and came in as near shore as they could 
with safet}', carrying one anchor to wear and another to 
seaboard, to prevent the French boarding them on each side 
at once, and to bring their guns and men all on one side, the 
better to defend themselves and annoy the enemy. The 



BLOCK ISLAND. 27 



French ^^I'obably discovered them also, and made all the sail 
they could, expecting to make prizes of them. Accordingly 
they sent a periauger before them, full of men, with design to 
pour in their small arms on them, and take them, as their 
manner was, supposing they were unarmed vessels and only 
bound upon trade. Captain Paine's gunner urged to fire on 
them. The Captain denied, alleging it more advisable to let 
the enemy come nearer under their command. But the gun- 
ner still urging it, being certain (as he said) he should rake 
fore and aft, thus with much importunity at length the Cap- 
tain gave him liberty. He fired on them but the bullet 
went wide of them, and I saw it skip on the surface of the 
water several times, and finally lodged in a bank, as they 
were not very far distant from the shore. This brought 
them to a stand, and to row oif as fast as they could and 
wait until their vessels came up. When they came, they 
bore down on the English, and there ensued a very hot sea- 
fight for several hours, though under the land, the great 
barque foremost, jjouring in a broadside with small arms. 
Ours bravely answered them in the same manner, with their 
huzzas and shouting. Then followed the larger sloop, the 
captain whereof was a very violent, resolute fellow. He 
took a glass of wine to drink, and wished it might be his 
damnation if he did not board them immediately. But as 
he was drinking, a bullet struck him iu his neck, with whicn 
he instantly fell down dead, as the prisoners (before spoken 
of) afterward reported. However, the large sloop j)roceed- 
ed, as the foremost vessel had done, and the lesser sloop 
likewise. Thus they passed by in course, and then tacked 
and brought their other broadside to bear. In this manner 
they continued the fight until the night came on and pre- 
vented their farther conflict. Our men as valiantly paid 



28 BLOCK ISLAND. 



them back in their own coin, and bravely repulsed them, 
and killed several of them. The Captain, before spoken of, 
with one or more were after driven on the shore. In this 
action the continued fire was so sharp and violent, that the 
echo in the woods made a noise as tliough the limbs of the 
trees were rent and tore off from their bodies (as I have 
observed) ; yet they killed but one man, an Indian fellow of 
the English party, and wounded six men, who after recov- 
ered. They overshot our men, so that many of their bullets, 
both great and small, were picked up on the adjacent shore. 

Our men expected a second encounter in the morning, 
and their ammunition being much spent, sent in the night 
for the island's stock, as the French lay off at anchor but a 
small distance from them all night. But having found the 
engagement too hot for them, they hoisted their sails and 
stood off to sea; and one reason might be this (as was 
reported) that their Commodore understood by some means 
that it was Captain Paine he had encountered, said, 'He 
would as soon choose to fight with the devil as with him.' 
Such was their dialect. Now this Captain Paine, and Peckar 
the French Commodore, had sailed together a privateering, 
Paine captain, and Peckar his lieutenant, in some former 
wars. The French standing off to sea. Captain Paine and 
Captain Godfrey, and their soldiers, with the valor and 
spirit of true Englishmen, pursued them, but the privateers 
being choice sailors, were too light of foot for them. The 
French, finding that they hauled on the vessel before spoken 
of, loaded with wines and brandy, which was not so good a 
sailor as the others, and fearing the English would make a 
prey of her, fired a great shot through her bottom, so that 
when our men came to her she was sunk under water in her 



BLOCK ISLAND. 29 



fore part, the stern alone buoyed up by a long-boat fastened 
to it; and as she was standing right up and down in the 
water, they could not get anything out of her. They no 
sooner cut the painter, but she instantly sunk to the bottom. 
They brought the boat with them in their return, which was 
the only prize and trophy of their victory; only as the ene- 
my were vanquished, and that the}' had so courageously 
chased them oif the New England coast. When Peckar 
heard that Trimming was killed, he greatly lamented, and 
said, he had rather have lost thirty of his men. 

Before the year was expired, some of the same company, 
with others, landed in the night, and surprised the people in 
their beds, and proceeded in like mannor as before, plunder- 
ing houses, stripping the people of their clothing, killing 
creatures and making great waste and spoil ; but killed no 
person. I suppose I was the greatest sufferer of any under 
their hands at this time ; for before I had dressed myself, 
one of their company rushed into the chamber where I lodg- 
ed. After some free and seemingly familiar questions he 
asked me, which I answered witli like freedom ; but being 
alone, without any of his company, not knowing what dan- 
ger might befall him (as I after apprehended) — on a sudden 
and with a different air, he says to me, ' Go down, you 
dog." To which I replied, 'Presently; as soon as I have 
put on my stockings and shoes.' At which with the muz- 
zle of his gun he gave such a violent thrust at the pit of my 
stomach, that it thrcAv me backwards on the bed, as I was 
sitting on the bed side, so that it was some time before I 
could recover my breath. As soon as I could, I gathered 
them up. He drew his cutlass and beat me, smiting with all 
his power, to the head of the stairs, and it was a very large 



30 BLOCK ISLAND. 



chamber. He followed me down the stairs, and then bound 
my hands behind me with a sharp small line, which soon 
made my hands swell and become painful. How I managed 
after with my stockings and shoes, I have now forgot. How- 
ever, after this 1 met with no abuse from them the whole 
time of their stay on the island. 

'' The first time the island was taken, of which I have 
given a narrative before, I took the first opportunity to make 
my escape, and some others did the like; and though we 
camped in a small piece of upland in a great swamp, yet 
ever}^ leaf that stirred with the wind, made me with surprise 
conclude the French were come upon us. This made me 
determine with myself, that if ever it were my lot in provi- 
dence to be taken b}' them again, I would continue in and 
see the worst of my bondage, until it pleased God to send 
me deliverance. This resolution I held, though I had a fair 
opportunity to make an escape, and notwithstanding the ill 
treatment 1 met with at first, as before related. 

"The French came a third time Avhile I was on the 
island, and came to anchor in the bay on Saturday, some 
time before night ; and acquainted us who they were and 
what they intended, by hoisting \\p their white colors. None 
of the people appearing to oppose them, and having, at this 
time, my aged grand-parents, Mr. James Sands and his wdfe, 
l)efore mentioned, to take the care of, with whom I then 
dwelt ; knowing also, that if thej^ landed they w' ould make 
his house the chief seat of their rendezvous, as they had done 
twice before, and not knowing wdiat insults or outrage they 
might commit on them, I advised to the leaving their house, 
and betaking themselves to the woods for shelter, till they 
might return under prospects of safety; which they con- 
sented to. Accordingly we took our flight into the woods, 



BLOCK ISLAND. 31 



which were at a considerable distance, where we encamped 
that night as well as the place and circumstances would 
allow, with some others, that for the like reasons fell into 
our company. The next morning, being the Lord's day 
morning, I expressed my desire to go occultl}^ and see the 
conduct of the French, and their proceedings. One of the 
company offered to go with me. We went together, and 
placed ourselves on the top of a hill, where were small bushes 
and a large swamp behind us, but in fair sight of the house T 
went from, viz: my grandfather's house. It seems the 
French had not landed until that morning, for we had not 
long been seated there before we saw them coming from the 
water-side in two files, which made a long train, with their 
colors flying, and, if I mistake not, their trumpet sounding. 
(I did not then think of counting their number.) Thus they 
came in triumph, and as absolute lords of the soil and all 
belonging thereto, — as indeed they were for the time ; but 
their reign was but short, as the sequel will prove. (My 
companion in this discovery was Mr. Thomas ]Mitehell, who 
then, and many years after, was an inhabitant on Block 
Island, alias Xew Shoreham. ) In this manner they went to 
the house, and immediately set up their standaixl on a hill 
on the back side of it, and directly shot and killed three 
hogs fatted with whey in a sty, and then killed the geese, as 
there were many there. Having had but little sleep the 
night before, I proposed to Mr. Mitchell to keep a good look- 
out, and watch their motions, till 1 endeavored to sleep a 
little, and thus to proceed interchangeably ; when I made the 
hard ground my lodging for the time, which was long. Up- 
on my awaking, he lay down ; and as he lay and slept, the 
French fired many guns at the house, and I heard several 
bullets whistling over my head. Suspecting they had made 



32 BLOCK ISLAND. 

some discovery of us, I awakened him, telling him what I 
had observed; therefore that it was advisable to shift onr 
quarters. Accordingly, as we were moving from the place, 
we espied a large ship about a league to leeward of the 
toAvnship, riding at anchor, (the fog at sea had been very 
thick till then ), which ha})pened to be Captain Dobbins, in 
the Nonesuch man-of-war, stationed in those seas, which we 
at first sight supposed. This ship appearing, put the French- 
men into a great surprise, l)y their motions, by running up 
to their standard on the hill, then down again, and others 
doing the like. 'Jlie man-of-war still making all sail possi- 
ble, there l)eing but a small bree-ze of wind at southwest, 
and right ahead, according to the sailors' phrase, they soon 
left the house, and with all speed and seeming confusion 
hastened to their vessel. Upon this, we went Ijoldly to the 
house, and found the Hour covered with geese, with blood, 
and feathers ; the (][uarters of the hogs they had killed hang- 
ing up in one and another part of the house, — a melancholy 
sight to l)ehold. Their manner of dressing hogs after they 
liad ([uartered them, was to singe oft" the liair over a flame ; 
and their method to connnand tlie cattle was (as I saw when 
they took us l)efore) to thrust their cutlasses in at their loins, 
and on a sudden the hind quarter would fall down, and as 
the poor creature strove to go forward, the blood would 
spout out of the hole, and fly up near or full out a yard in 
height. But to return, — the Frenchmen hastened on board, 
as they had taken many prisoners in their passage, and 
among others, one Captain Rodney, with his lady, a gentle- 
man of a fine estate, coming from the West Indies, with all 
his substance, to settle in this country. They robbed him of 
all his wealth, insomuch, as in my hearing his wife related, 
that when they saw they were likely to be taken, she took a 



BLOCK ISLAND. 33 



bag of money and hid it in a private place. However, 
they found it, and took it from her. These prisoners, 
they nsed the utmost dexterity to set on shore, and leave 
behind them ; which they no sooner had done but they set 
sail to make their escape, the Nonesuch all this while press- 
ing hard to windward. Soon after these privateers took to 
their heels, hoping to get out of the man-of-war's reach, 
the fog thickened, and the wind rose and blew hard at 
southwest, so that we quickl}^ lost sight of them both. The 
French kept close upon the wind, in hopes to weather a 
place called Nomaa's Land, lying southward of Martha's 
Vineyard ; but the wind scanting on them, and blowing 
hard, they ran into a place (if I mistake not) called Buz- 
zard's Bay, which emphatically proved so to them. There 
they were land-locked, and could not get out, although the 
French vessel was quickly out of sight by reason of the thick 
fog which continued. Yet as if the Nonesuch had tracked 
them by the print of their heels in the ocean, or had followed 
them in their wake, she came in upon them. Providence so 
ordering, and took them. When they saw, to their astonish- 
ment, the man-of-war so unexpectedly overtaking them, 
about 40 of their men went on shore and were disarmed and 
seized by the people that dwelt near the j^lace, and sent pris- 
oners to Boston. The others on board, Caj)tain Dobbins 
took and made prisoners of war, and their ship became a rich 
prize, which we saw about three days after, following him 
into Newport, where she was condemned. 

"These French privateers, or some others, came a fourth 
time, and landed on Block Island, in the former war with 
France ; but the people on the island took courage, and en- 
countered them in an open pitched battle, and drove them 
5 



34 BLOCK ISLAND. 



off from the shore, without any hurt to the English, except 
one man slightly wounde'l in his finger. They never after 
that troubled the people any more." 

"The great spoil made on the island by the French, in 
their rej)eated visits, and particularly on my father's interest, 
occasioned my staying from school six years (when I intend- 
ed only a short visit to my friends.) In this time I turned 
my hand to husbandry, and sometimes to handicraft. I 
helped to build a vessel, among other things, for the West 
India trade ; and caulked one side and the master-workman 
the other; and she proved very tight, and answerable to the 
design. After the space of six years thus employed, I re- 
turned again to school, so that, by reason of this delay, I 
was near two-and-twenty years old when I entered into the 
College at Cambridge, the reverend Dr. Increase Mather 
then being President, — and jNIr. John Leverett, afterward 
President, and Mr. William Brattle, after the reverend pas- 
tor of Ciimbridge church, were the only fellows. The 
kindness of these worthy gentlemen I hope not to forget, 
who, I conclude, favored me the more, as I was the first that 
came to colleQ:e from Rhode Island government. 



"June 1, 1706, Mr. Walker, being laden with provisions 
from Connecticut, was chased by a French privateer. To 
shun being taken by him, he ran ashore in his boat, and as 
he hastened to Rhode Island, ah'rmed the country round 
about. The people there were so expeditious, that in a few 
hours, (by beat of the drum) 100 men well equijiped, volun- 
tarily entered on board two sloops, under the command of 
Major Wanton (after Governor there, and Captain Paine, 
the same famous old warrior that, with Captain Godfrey (as 



BLOCK ISLAND. 35 



before is related) put to flight the French fleet of privateers 
from Block Island. The very next day they made a prize 
of her, wherein were 37 men under the command of Captain 
Ferrel, bound for Port Royal, as it was called while in the 
hands of the French, but now Annapolis." 

At a special session of the General Assembly held Sep- 
tember 16th, 1690, the Assembly voted to pay the charges 
of the expedition of Captain Thomas Paine, and Captain 
Godfiey against the enemy, to Block Island. 

The colony afterwards sent soldiers to Block Island, who 
were supported by the inhabitants of the Island, and pai by 
the colony, and the people of the Island were much of the 
time obliged to keep watch and ward, as their records abun- 
dantly show from 1689 to subsequent to 1740. 

The affair referred to by Niles as having taken place in 
1706, is more in detail referred to by Weston Clarke, Secretary 
of the colony in a letter in behalf of the Governor and Council 
of Rhode Island, to the Board of Trade. This letter is dated 
September 14th, which is as follows, viz : "About two months 
since an express being sent to the Governor, that a French 
privateer had taken a trading sloop laden with provisions, 
upon the coast, the evening before the express came, the 
Governor upon the receipt of the news immediately caused 
proclamation to be made for volunteers, as is our custom in 
such cases to go against her majesty's enemies; and in two 
hours time had two sloops, which he had taken up for said ser- 
vice, fitted and manned with one hundred and twenty men, 
who within three hours after, upon the coast of Block Island, 
made themselves masters of said French privateer, and the 
prize she had taken, and brought them into this port, (New- 
port.)" 



36 BLOCK ISLAND. 



The General Assembly passed an act in 1708, in conse- 
quence of a petition from the men of the Island that they 
were in great danger from the French, to send fifteen men, 
English and Indians, to be kept at the Island as long, and to 
be abated, as the Governor, Assistant and Major of the Island 
should see cause. 

In the Spring of 1740, ten men were directed to be im- 
pressed from the King's County, and ten from the county of 
Providence, to be sent to the Island for six months for its 
defence ; the men to be billeted among the inhabitants ; the 
six guns at the Island were to be mounted, and provision 
was made for a supply of ammunition and gun carriages. 



CHA'PTE(R IV. 



THE PALATINE SHIP. 



The upper and lower Palatinate were two separate 
states of ancie)it Germany. The upj)er Palatinate embraced 
what is now known as Bavaria, and the lower Palatinate a 
territory on both sides of the Rhine, within which were the 
cities of Mannheim and Heidleberg. The area of the latter 
territory was about sixteen hundred square miles, and the 
former contained twenty-seven hundred and thirty square 
miles. James I, after his disastrous attempt to succor the 
unfortunate Palatines, upon his death bed, in 1625, exhorted 
Charles T, to bear a tender affection for his (James) wife, to 
preserve a constancy in religion, to protect the Church of 
England, and to extend his care towards the unhappy fami- 
lies of the Palatines. 

It was natural that Protestant England should be inter- 
ested in these persecuted Christians. 

While Marlborough was .operating with the allied armies 
in that country, ten thousand of this distressed people had 
been invited to England. They were graciously received by 
Queen Anne. They had been preceded in 1708, by a party 
of fifty, who had been commended to the Queen by the 



38 BLOCK ISLAND. 



chaplain of Prince George. The Queen had allowed them a 
shilling a day and had charged herself with the burden of 
their transportation to the colonies. The favoi they had 
received, was t<dd of in the letters written home to their 
impoverished countrymen. The Anabaptists of Holland 
aided the Palatines in emigrating to England, and to the 
plantations in America. 

Those who went to England arrived in a season of scar- 
city, and though great charities were set on foot to aid them, 
their arrival produced much discontent among the English 
poor. Many of the Palatines were sent to Ireland, but most 
of them to North America. 

At the beginning of the eighteenth century and during 
its first quarter, the section of New York from Lake Cham- 
plain to Lake Erie extending south below the Mohawk 
valley, was a wilderness. The French then hostile to the 
English, possessed Canada. The inhabitants of the lower 
Palatinate had been the subjects of persecution by the French 
during the religious wars of Europe, for one hundred years. 
Under the patronage of the Queen large bodies of these 
Palatines were sent to New York, and were settled on the 
banks of the Hudson and in the northern section of New 
York, to form a barrier between the older population of that 
country and the French in Canada Two of these bodies of 
emigrants came by the way of England, and the third came, 
in 1722, from Holland. The first two bodies arrived, one in 
1708, and the other in 1710. It would be interesting to 
trace the history of these emigrants in building up the great 
Stales of New York and Pennsylvania, but that is aside from 
our present purpose. 

"•The Palatine," "The Phantom Ship," immortalized by 
Dana's Buccaneers, and Whittier's little poem, as associated 



BLOCK ISLAND. 89 



with the history of Block Island and its vicinity, is the sub- 
ject we are to consider. 

That there was a ship freighted with Palatine emigrants 
bound for New York or Pennsylvania, that came to this 
country and with which was associated some great crime or 
disaster which occurred in the vicinity of Block Island, is 
true beyond question, if we are to regard evidence to estab- 
lish any fact which did not arise within our own personal 
cognizance. 

There are now li\ing many persons who have seen and 
conversed with many persons who had seen and conversed 
with at least two of the survivors of the emigrants that 
came in this ship. 

On the south side of Block Island, but a few rods to the 
west of where the Ann Hope, the India ship of Brown & 
lyes, was wrecked, and some forty or fifty rods to the east 
of " The Black Rock Gully" on a little knoll, is a cluster of 
graves; up to within a few years, they were distinctly visi- 
ble, but the unfeeling plow has passed over them, and has 
almost obliterated their existence. 

In "the Pocock meadow," a mile further westward, and 
in a field lately owned b}-- the late Jesse Lewis, were other 
clusters of graves, long within my memory, if not now, clear- 
ly visible. These were all known" as "the Palatine graves." 
The existence of these graves and their designation will not 
be questioned. 

The traditional story is, that "the Palatine" — for want of 
the real name of the ship I adopt the name by which she has 
been designated, — sailed from Holland about 1720. That she 
was ladened with emigrants and their effects. That though 
most of the emigrants were poor, they were not all so. 



40 BLOCK ISLAND. 



That the passengers on the voyage were nearly starved. 
That the ship lingered about Block Island for a considerable 
time, and after many of the passengers had died, the survi- 
vors, with the exception of a lady of great wealth, who re- 
fused to leave the ship, were landed on the Island. That one 
man from the island, Mark Dodge, was frequentl}' on board 
the ship, and was intimate with the officers. Some of the 
passengers were taken into the house of a Mr. Ray, a de- 
scendant of Simon Ray, and were there cared for. That they 
had been so long deprived of food, and eat so voraciously in 
their then diseased condition, that they all died but three 
women. The officers of the ship took the treasure and 
abandoned the ship. 

Two of the survivors of this ship lived and died on the 
Island. They were respectively known as "Tall Kattern'' 
and "Short Kattern." These poor women were young, des- 
titute, and though apparently well bred, at least this was the 
case with Short Kattern, they were ignorant of the language 
of the people with whom their lot was cast. Tall Kattern 
formed some connexion with an African negro, who had been 
imported into the colony and purchased at the Island and 
who was called New Port, after the town from which he 
came. They had at least three children, viz : Thomas Port, 
Mary Port, and Kreadle Port. Mille Babcock, who died at 
the Newport Asylum within the last year, who was said to have 
been in the one hundred and second year of her age, was 
the grand-daughter of Thomas Port, and the great grand- 
daughter of Tall Kattern. Short Kattern was supported by 
the town, that is, she was billeted about among the inhabi- 
tants, and died there, and is said to have been buried in the 
corner of a private burying ground, lately belonging to the 
late Josiah S. Peckham. 



BLOCK ISLAND. 41 



I very well remember Kreadle, the daughter of Tall Kat- 
tern ; she probably died about 1828 or 29, aged about 100 
years. There is a tradition that there was a third survivor 
who married in Washington county and left descendants, 
but this I have not had the time to investigate. 

Mark Dodge was insane for years, but even in his maniacal 
ravings no one could ever elicit anything from him about 
what took place on board the Palatine. The asking of this 
simple question would calm his rage and induce his silence. 
The rest of the story others must tell. 

The appearance of Whittier's Poem, "The Palatine," has 
revived the interest which formerly existed in the legend 
which is its subject, and which was the subject of the justly 
celebrated poem of Dana, called "-The Bucaneers." 

Mr. Bull says he obtained the traditionary story of the 
ship from William P. Sands, an inhabitant of Block Island, 
and that Mr. Sands obtained it from a very reputable lady 
who was an aunt of his. 

Mr. Sands was a well known citizen of the Island, repre- 
sented the town in the General Assembly for several years, 
was a man of intelligence and of high character for probity ; 
he died at an advanced age about thirty years since. 

He said that the tradition in relation to the Palatine was, 
"that she was run on shore on Block Island, about the year 
1719 or 1720, but a northeast gale and high tide floated her 
off after lying several days. She was from Holland, bound 
to Pennsylvania with emigrants. Having a long passage, and 
being put on short allowance, most of the emigrants died 
from hardships and disease, arising, as they believed, princi- 
pally from the desire of the captain to appropriate their ef- 
fects to his own use. The surviving passengers, 16 or 17 in 
6 



42 BLOCK ISLAND. 



number, were landed, but in so diseased a state that three 
only survived, who remained and became inhabitants of the 
island. One lady passenger [Mary Vanderline] who had much 
gold and silver plate on board, refused to quit the ship ; she 
remained on board and must have perished, as the ship was 
never after heard of. One year after which, the Palatine light, 
as it is called, appeared in the offing, and has continued occa- 
sionally to appear up to the year 1832, since which it has not 
been oi)served. Some of the silver cups which belonged to 
the passengers are still to be seen on the Island." 

The following account of the Palatine light is taken 
from a publication called the Parthenon. It was written 
by Dr. Aaron C. Willey, a resident physician of the Island, 
to Dr. Samuel L. Mitchell, of New York. : 

Block Island, Dec. 10, 1811. 

Dear Sir : — In a former letter I promised to give you an 
account of the singular light which is sometimes seen from 
this place. I now hasten to fulfil my engagement. I should 
long since have communicated the fact to the literary world, 
but was unwilling to depend wholly upon the information of 
others, when by a little delay, there was probability of my 
receiving occular demonstration. I have not, however, been 
so fortunate in this respect as I could wish, having had onl}^ 
two opportunities of viewing the phenomenon. My residing 
nearly six miles from the shore, which lies next to the 
region of its exhibition and behind elevated ground, has pre- 
vented me from seeing it so frequently, perhaps, as I might 
otherwise have done. The people who have always lived 
here are so familiarized to the sight that they never think of 
giving notice to those who do not happen to be present, or 
even of mentioning it afterwards, unless they hear some 
particular enquiries are made. 



BLOCK ISLAND. 43 



This curious irradiation rises from the ocean near the 
northern part of the ishmd. Its appearance is nothing dif- 
ferent from a blaze of fire ; whether it actually touches the 
-water, or merely hovers over it, is uncertain, for I am in- 
formed that no person has been near enough to decide 
accurately. It beams with various magnitudes, and appears 
to bear no more analogy to the ignus fatuus than it does to 
the aurora borealis. Sometimes it is small, resembling the 
light through a distant window ; at others expanding to the 
highness of a ship with all her canvass spread. When large, 
it displays either a pyramidical form, or three constant 
streams. In the latter case, the streams are somewhat blend- 
ed together at the bottom, but separate and distinct at the 
top, while the middle one rises rather higher than the other 
two. It may have the same appearance when small, but 
owing to distance and surrounding vapors, cannot be clearly 
perceived. This light often seems to be in a constant state 
of mutation ; decreasing by degrees it becomes invisible, or 
resembles a lucid point then shining anew, sometimes with a 
sudden flare, at others by a gradual increasement to its former 
size. Often the mutability regards the lustre only, becoming 
less and less bright until it disappears or nothing but a pale 
outline can be discerned of its full size, then resuming its 
full splendor, in the manner before related. The duration 
of its greatest and least state of illumination is not commonly 
more than three minutes ; this inconstancy, however, does 
not appear in every instance. 

After the radiance seems to be totally extinct, it does not 
always return in the same place, but is not unfrequently 
seen shining at some inconsiderable distance from which it 
disappeared. In this transfer of locality it seems to have no 
certain line of direction. 



44 BLOCK ISLAND. 



When most expanded, this blaze is generally wavering 
like the flame of a torch. At one time it appears stationary, 
at another progressive. It is seen at all seasons of the year, 
and for the most part in the calm weather which precedes an 
easterly or southerly storm. It has, however, been noticed 
during a severe northwestern gale, and when no storm im- 
mediately followed. Its continuance is sometimes but tran- 
sient, at others throughout the night, and it has been known 
to appear several nights in succession. 

This blaze actually emits luminous rays. A gentleman 
whose house is situated near the sea, informs me that he has 
known it to illuminate considerably the walls of his room 
through the windows. This happens only when the light is 
within half a mile of the shore ; for it is often seen blazing 
at six or seven miles distance, and strangers suppose it to be 
a vessel on fire. 

Having given a concise but general description of this 
unusual radiance, in which I have been aided by the con- 
current testimony of diverse veritable characters, I will now 
offer you those observations afforded me by the opportuni- 
ties I have had for visiting it myself. The first time I be- 
held it was at evening twilight, in February, 1810. It was 
large and gently lambent, very bright, broad at the bottom 
and terminating acutely upward. From each side seemed to 
issue rays of faint light, similar to those perceptible in any 
blaze placed in the open air ai night. It continued about 
fifteen minutes from the time I first observed it ; then gradu- 
ally became smaller until more dim, and it was entirely ex- 
tinguished. 

I saw it again on the evening of December the 20th. It 
was then small, and I supposed it to be a light on board of 



BLOCK ISLAND. 45 



some vessel, but I was soon undeceived. It moved along, 
apparently parallel to the shore, for about two miles, in the 
time that I was riding one at a moderate pace. An ascent of 
ground then hid it for a few minutes from my view. Pass- 
ing this I observed it about half way back to the place where 
it had commenced its vagrant career. I then stopped to ob- 
serve it more attentively. The light then remained still for 
some time — them moved off quickly for several rods, and 
made a halt ; thus being in a state of alternate motion and 
rest. Its magnitude and lustre were subject to the same un- 
steadiness described above. 

This lucid meteor has long been known by the name of 
the Palatine light. By the ignorant and superstitious, it is 
thought to be supernatural. Its appellation originated from 
that of a a ship called the Palatine, which was designedly 
cast away at this place, in the beginning of the last century, 
in order to conceal, as tradition reports, the inhuman treat- 
ment and murder of some of its unfortunate passengers. 
From this time, it is said, the Palatine light appeared, and 
there are many who firmly believe it to be a ship on fire, to 
which their fantastic and distempered imaginations figure 
masts, ropes and flowing sails. 

The cause of this "roving brightness" is a curious subject 
for philosophical investigation. Some, perhaps, will suppose 
it will depend upon a peculiar modification of electricity ; 
others upon the inflammation of phlogogistous (hydrogenous) 
gas. But there aj'e, possibly, many other means, unknown 
to us, by which light may be devolved from those materials 
with which it is latently associated, by the power of mechan- 
ical affinities. 

I have stated to you facts, but feel a reluctance to hazard 



46 BLOCK ISLAND. 



any speculation. These I leave to you and to other acute 

researchers of created -things. Your opinion I would be 

much pleased with. 

I remain yours, &c., 

Aaron C. Willey. 

Hon. S. L. Mitchell. 




CHA^TECk V. 



Much of the town records from the foundation of the colony 
up to the breaking out of the revolution is taken up in mat- 
ters appertaining to defence, to provisions for arms and amu- 
nition, for watch and ward, for modes of alarm, and in the 
event of an alarm what was to be done. The mind wearies 
with these details as it tries to compass the history of this 
people. 

Other colonists may have been subjected to even greater 
hardships, or may have endured them more heroically than 
these, but taking into consideration all of the circumstances 
which surrounded them, the people of this island have pro- 
duced creditable results. The schoolmaster has not long 
been abroad there. 

During the wars between France and England, it was 
often found to be impracticable for the colony to defend the 
inhabitants of this island from the marauding cruisers of the 
French; they at these unguarded times pounced upon the 
inhabitants and committed such depredations upon their 
property as they chose witli impunity, and upon the breaking 
out of the revolution, the colony could not defend the Island, 
and it is repeatedly referred to in the Colonial Records as 
being in the possession of the enemy. The inhabitants of 



48 BLOCK ISLAND. 



the Island were greatl}^ impoverished during this war ; a con- 
siderable number of the able bodied men left the colony to 
engage in the service of their country, either on board of 
privateers or in the army, and the removal by the colony of a 
large number of cattle and sheep, and the prohibiting the in- 
habitants of the Island to go to the mainland, or people from 
the main land to go to the Island except by the special au- 
thority of the General Assembly, isolated these people in a 
way that it was impossible for them to obtain from external 
sources any of the comforts or conveniences of life. They 
were dependent for their clothing upon the wool they grew 
from the few sheep that were left them, and the flax they 
raised, both of which were made into cloth by the women of 
that time. The enemy took from them what they pleased, 
and paid for what they took according to their pleasure. 
The officers generally paid for what they had, but the men, 
probably, did not. 

The stories of the privations and sufferings of this people 
during the eight years of the war, may have been exaggera- 
tions of facts as they occurred, for the adversities in youth 
appear to the "aged to have been greater than they were, as 
when we return to the old country homestead after a long 
absence in the city, we are disappointed at the smallness of 
its dimensions. 

At a town meeting, held March 2d, 1774, John Sands, 
Esq., was chosen moderator. 

They resolved that the Americans had as good right to be 
free as any people on earth ; that the right claimed by Parlia- 
ment to bind the colonies in all cases whatever, is inconsist- 
ent with the natural, constitutional and chartered rights and 
privileges of this colony ; that a tax levied on Americans for 



BLOCK ISLAND. 49 



the support of government, has a tendency to render colo- 
nial assemblies useless, and to introduce arbitrary govern- 
ment and slavery; that the taxation of a people without 
their consent, is destructive of freedom ; that the attempt of 
the East India Company to force their tea into America, 
subject to a duty here, is a violent attack upon the liberties 
of the country, and it is the duty of every American to 
oppose this attempt; that every individual who countenan- 
ces this attempt, or who in any way aids it, or pilots any 
vessel with tea on board, is an enemy to his country, and that 
they would heartily unite with their brethren of the colony 
in supporting the inhabitants of this continent in all their just 
rights and privileges, and that Joshua Sands, Caleb Littlefield 
and John Sands, Esquires, and Messrs. Walter Rathbone and 
Edward Sands, Jr., be a committee of the town to correspond 
with all of the committees of the towns of the colony, and the 
said committee is requested to give the closest attention to 
everything which concerns the liberties of America. At this 
time the population of the Island was 575, of whom 51 
were Indians and 55 negroes. 

At the August session of the General Assembly, 1775, 
it was Voted and Resolved, that all the neat cattle and sheep 
on the Island, excepting a sufficiency for the inhabitants, be 
brought off as soon as possible, and landed upon the conti- 
nent; that lk!50 men be sent to the Island to secure the stock 
until it could be taken off; and that the remainder of two 
companies in the counties of Kings and Kent, which have 
not marched to join the army, be employed in this service ; 
that James Rhoades, Gideon Hoxie and George Sheffield be 
empowered, at the expense of the colony, to take the most 
prudent and effectual measures for removing the stock to the 

continent. Such of the stock brought off ths Island as was 

7 



50 BLOCK ISLAND. 



fit for that purpose, was ordered to be sent to the army under 
General Washington. 1908 sheep were taken from the 
Island. The schooner Polly was taken by the enemy while 
she was employed in removing stock from the Island. 

At the January session of the General Assembly, 1776, 
an account was presented by William Greene and otheis for 
beef, hides and tallow derived from cattle taken off of this 
Island. 

While the soldiers were at the Island, they were billeted 
among the inhabitants. All intercourse with the Island was 
forbidden. So strictly was this enforced, that when Gover- 
nor William Greene was in office he had to procure the as- 
sent of the General Assembly to send a few barrels of cider 
to his brother-in-law, John Littlefield, who was the father of 
Mrs. General Greene. The records of the town were sent to 
Paul Niles, in Charlestown, for safe keeping, at the break- 
ing out of the war, and for eight years after there is no entry 
extant to tell what they did or suffered. For eight years 
they were left to be preyed upon or petted alike by 
friend and foe, with no food to eat but such as they raised 
upon the Island or caught from the sea, with no clothes to 
wear but such as they had at the breaking out of the war, or 
as they could manufacture with their own hands, without a 
physician to heal their bodies, or a clergyman to cure their 
souls. The colony at intervals sent its committee to see what 
of fish or grain it could contribute to supply the army, and 
the absent landlords were permitted to return to gather their 
rents, and creditors were allowed in a few instances to go to 
look after their debtors. 

At the breaking out of the war, several of the inhabi- 
itants left the Island. Ray Sands went to Tower Hill. He 
served as an officer during the greater part of the war. He 



BLOCK ISLAND. 51 



was made a captain of the militia at the October session of 
the Assembly in 1775, promoted to be major in July 1776, 
and was made a colonel in September, 1776. His appoint- 
ment to this office gave offence to Col. Segar, and at the 
next March session it was ascertained that his appointment 
had been made by mistake ; in the meantime he had defended 
the country from an assault from the enemy's ships. The 
thanks of the General Assembly were voted to him for his 
spirited and vigilant conduct on that occasion, and from his 
known zeal for the public good, the Assembly hoped and ex- 
pected that he would accept the office of Lieutenant Colonel, 
which office he accepted. 

Edw^ard Sands removed off the Island and was chosen 
surgeon of an artillery regiment early in 1777. 

William Littlefield, who afterwards settled in Newport, 
was at the October session of the Assembly, 1776, upon the 
recommendation of General Washington, made a first lieuten- 
ant in the new establishment of the military forces. He was 
the brother-in-law of General Nathanael Greene, and served 
afterwards as a captain in the army. 




CHA'PTE'R VI. 



Early Settlers. 



John Alcock was born in England in 1627, graduated at 
Harvard College in 1646, was one of the proprietors of, and 
went to Block Island at its settlement, but died near Boston, 
March 27, 1667, five years after he went to Block Island. 
His estate at the Island was distributed among his children 
in 1677. 

Simon Ray remained at the Island; his son Gideon was 
taken by the French and carried up the sound to the neigh- 
borhood of New York, where he remained. The descendants 
of Simon intermarried with the Greene family of Warwick. 
His grandson, Simon, married Judith Greene. Catharine Ray 
married William Greene, who was afterwards Governor. 
Some of her letters to, and from Dr. Franklin, have been pub- 
lished among the works of the latter. One of her sisters mar- 
ried Governor Samuel Ward, one married a Hubbard, of 
Boston, and their niece, Catharine Littlefield, daughter of 
John Littlefield, married General Nathanael Greene. 

Philip Wharton had one child, a daughter. He left Bos- 
ton, and probably joined this colony in consequence of a do- 
mestic difficulty. He separated from his family ; beyond 
this I have not traced him. 



BLOCK ISLAND. 53 



Hugh Williams was a hatter ; he joined the Boston Church 
January 1st, 1642. He returned to Boston; his will was 
dated Oct. 21st, 1674. He too, probably, had some domestic 
difficulties, for he gave his property to his brother John and 
his sister, Mrs. Hale, and an action was brought against him, 
while he was in life, for the defamation of his wife. 

Samuel Bearing, like Simon Ray, was of Braintree. He 
married Mary Ray, who died in 1657, when he married Fran- 
cis Newcomb. His son, Samuel, returned to Massachusetts. 
I think that the father remained at the Island, but the name 
soon became extinct. 

Thomas Terry came from England in 1685 in the James. 
He was one of the first purchasers and settlers of the Island, 
and afterward removed to Freetown, in Massachusetts, where 
his descendants yet survive. 

Thomas Faxon was of Braintree. He again returned to 
Brai)itree, was there pressed into the service under Sir Wil- 
liam Phips in the expedition against Quebec. 

Richard Ellis was from Dedham. I have no means of 
ascertaining what became of him ; he had a daughter who 
married Amos Fisher of Dedham, March 12th, 1680, but I 
doubt if Ellis ever returned to Dedham. 

Peter George was of Braintree. He had several children. 
He did not live long after his removal to the Island. Some 
of his children settled, I believe, in Newport. Commodore 
Stephen Decatur was one of his descendants. 

William Rose, captain of the barque, soon disappeared 
from their records, but Thomas Rose, otherwise called Tormot 
Rose, who was probably son of William, remained on the 
Island, and has numerous descendants, many of whom fol- 
lowed the calling of their ancestor. 



54 BLOCK ISLAND. 



Samuel Staples was of Braintree. How long he remained 
at the Island I have not ascertained, but probably died there. 
The mode of life of the early settlers of the Island is nar- 
rated by Mrs. Governor Greene, (Catharine Ray, Dr. Frank 
lin's correspondent,) in a manuscript yet extant. She de- 
rived her information from an aged relative. She says the 
first settlers had one cow to three families. They made mush 
of Indian meal, which they eat with a little milk instead of 
molasses. They had a fish called horse mackerel. This was 
their daily fare. They eat their breakfast, and went some- 
times several miles to their work of clearing, and on their re- 
turn this was their supper. 

Speaking of her ancestor, Simon Ray, Sr., and of the mode 
of his torture by the French to compel him to disclose his hid- 
den silver, she says that he was put into a cheese press and 
squeezed there; that at anotlier time he was tied to a tree and 
whipped. Mrs. Governor Greene remembered her grand- 
father who died March 17th, 1737, aged 101 years, one month 
and one day. 

Ten years before he died he made his will, distributing 
his estate among his children, and manumitted Esther, Sofa 
and Warwick, his. slaves. 

Mrs. Greene, and the Rev. Samuel Niles, each claims 
their grandfather to have been the most important man in 
the colony. If the records of the Island indicate who the 
most important member of that society was, I should say, un- 
hesitatingly, that it was the ancestor of Mrs. Greene. 

Simon Ray was a Puritan ; he lived and died in the faith 
of the Puritans. He held public worship for very many years 
on Sunday at his own house. Mrs. Greene says that he had 
committed the New Testament and the Psalms to memory, 



BLOCK ISLAND. 55 



and when he was old and blind, she heard him complaining of 
being ill, and that he had been able to repeat to himself but 
fifty chapters of the Scriptures that day. 

He lies buried beneath a massive slate slab on a hill, from 
which a large part of the Island and the surrounding sea is 
in open view. The stone contains this inscription, viz : 

" This monument is erected to the memory of Simon Ray, 
Esquire, one of the original proprietors of this Island. He 
was largely concerned in settling the township, and was one 
of its chief magistrates. Such was his benevolence that be- 
sides the care which he took of their interests, he frequently 
instructed them in the more important concerns of our Holy 
Religion. He was deprived of his eyesight many years, 
cheerfully submitting to the will of God, his life being in 
this trying instance, and all others, a lovely example of 
Christian virtue. 

He died on the 17th of March, A. D., 1737, in the 102d 
year of his age." 

James Danielson, sometime subsequent to 1700, went to 
what is now Windham county, and settled in the neighbor- 
hood of a village there which perpetuates his family name. 

James Sands was born at Reading, in the county of 
Berkes, in England. He was one of the early settlers of 
Portsmouth, where he was a freeman in 1655. Mr. Sands 
left Portsmouth with the celebrated Ann Hutchinson, and 
with another person undertook the erection of a dwelling 
house for Mrs. Hutchinson, in the wilderness at East Ches- 
ter, near New York. While he was prosecuting this under- 
taking, he had a singular experience with the Indians, who 
manifested the disposition towards him, which was after- 
wards developed into hostility to any settlement of their 
country by the whites, and which finally doomed Mrs. HiUch- 
inson and all of her family, except a girl, a relative of her 
family, who was taken by the Indians, but was afterwards 



56 BLOCK ISLAND. 



redeemed and married a Mr. Cole of Kingstown. Mr. Sands 
was driven out of the Indian country, and returned to 
Rhode Island — went to Taunton for a short time, and in 
1663, with his wife Sarah, became one of the settlers of 
Block Island. He had five sons — John, James, Samuel, Ed- 
ward and Job, and three daughters. The eldest of these 
I do not know ; the other two were Sarah and Mercy. John, 
James, Samuel aiid Job went to Long Island, and probably 
all settled there, at a place called Cowneck. Job married 
Sybil Ra}', a daughter of Simon Ray, and Edward lived at 
Block Island, where he married Mary Williams, daughter of 
John, February 12th, 1685. The eldest daughter was 
drowned in a mill-pond, near her father's house. 

Mercy Sands, the youngest daughter of Mr. James Sands, 
married Joshua Raymond, of New London. 

James Sands died at Block Island, March 18th, 1695. 

Sarah Sands, widow of James, made her will March 9th, 
1699, which was proved July 6th, 1702, in which "in obedi- 
ence to a promise I have made, that no child born under my 
protection and care shall be made a slave of, and in ratifica- 
tion and confirmation of this," she proceeds to provide for the 
bringing up and emancipation of several negro children, 
which is the substance of the will ; and this will, we think, 
fairly entitles her to be ranked among the earliest "abolition- 
ists." 

Col. Ray Sands and Captain Edward Sands were both 
officers in the Revolutionary army, as was their kinsman, 
Captain William Littlefield. 

James Sands built a commodious stone house, which 
served the double purpose €•■*' ,.\velling house and fortress. 
The exact locality of this house \i' unknown to ^he wri- 



BLOCK ISLAND. ' 57 



ter. Says the Rev. Samuel Niles, in his French and Indian 
Wars, "it was near a mill pond." It was not far from the 
harbor, for the French, when they took possession of the 
Island in 1689, "they disarmed the men and carried the 
people and confined them in the house of Captain James 
Sands, which was large and accommodable for their purpose, 
and not far from the harbor." 

When the French took the Island the third time, Sands 
and his family went to the woods for shelter; their grandson, 
Samuel Niles, accompanied them. They encamped in the 
woods that night; the next morning Niles and Thomas 
Mitchell went together to the top of a hill, where were small 
bushes, and a large swamp was behind them, but they were 
in fair sight of the house. From this place the French were 
seen as they came up from the water side in two files. In 
this manner they went to the house, and set up their standard 
on a hill on the back side of it. The French fired many 
guns at the house, and some of the balls whistled over Niles's 
head. The landing at that time was at what is known as 
"the old pier" now. The mill-pond was above what is now 
known as "the upper dam," where the highway then crossed 
the stream. Two of James Sands's granddaughters, sisters, 
married cousins, each bearing the name of Nathaniel Little- 
field. The land to the east of the mill-pond is known to 
have been "Littlefield land," probably inherited from the 
Sands's. If the house stood by the side of the road on the 
high land east of the mill-pond, and the Niles's was located 
on the hill north of "the continental swamp," the landing 
place would be visible between the high-lands once occupied 
by Dr. Willing's house, and the high-lands occupied by the 
house of the late Joshua Littlefield ; so it is highly probable 
8 



58 BLOCK ISLAND. 



that this house was located on what is now known as "the 
Caleb Littlefield land." 

Sarah Sands, wife of James, was for a long time the doc- 
tress on the Island, and was skilled in surgery as well as in 
medicine. She survived her husband for several years. 

James Sands, by his Avill, gave to his youngest son, Ed- 
ward, his homestead, viz : Cow-pasture, meadow, ram-pas- 
ture, field-before-the-door, calf-pasture, great swamp and half 
the orchard, as they are now fenced, with the wall and all of 
the benefits to them belonging. 

Edward Sands, by his will, dated June 13th, 1708, gave 
his estate to his wife for life, then to go to his daughter 
Sarah, but if she married Samuel Dennison she Avas disin- 
herited, and the estate was to go to Edward, son of John 
Sands, in fee simple. 

John Sands lived at Hempstead, L. I., in 1713. Samuel 
Sands had daughter Sybil, who married John Rogers of New 
London ; Mercy, who married Richard Stillwell of New 
York ; Sarah, who married Nathan Selleck of Stamford, 
Conn., and Ann and Mar}^, who were unmarried, and a son 
Samuel ; among whom, by his will, he distributed a large 
estate. 

John Sands married Catharine Gutterage, June 17th, 
1713. They had John, January, 1798 ; Robert, 1710 ; Ed- 
ward, January, 1712. 

Sands's Point, on Long Island, derived its name from the 
Block Island Sands's, who settled there, and the New York 
Sands's belong to this family. 

Consider Tiffany married Abagail Niles, May 27th, 1696. 
They had a son born June 14th, 1701. Ephraim Tiffany and 



BLOCK ISLAND. 59 



wife, Bathaid, had Samuel Tiffany, born April 7th, 1707, 
Consider, born April 29th, 1703, and another child, born 
February 7th, 1707. 

Samuel Arnold married Susannah George, 1706, and died 
insane August 9th, 1717. 

Caleb Littlefield and wife, Mercy, had John Littlefield, 
in 1717, and John Littlefield was an ancestor of Mrs. Gen. 
Nathanael Greene. 

Nathaniel Niles, son of John of Braintree, married Sarah, 
daughter of James Sands, February 14th, 1671. They had 
Samuel Niles, May 1, 1674 ; Nathaniel, March 21, 1677 ; 
Catharine, March 13th, 1680 ; Ebenezer, January 25, 1685, 
and Savage says a son Jeremiah. 

Benjamin and John Niles were of the list of freemen 
in 1678, and were brothers of Nathaniel. 

Samuel Niles, son of Nathaniel, was the first graduate of 
Harvard College from Rhode Island. The elder Adams 
said he was in tlie list of the excellent and worthy 
men whom he knew among the ministers of New England 
who were all men of learning — pious, humble, prudent, faith- 
ful and useful men in their day, and "that in his youth he re- 
vered, and still reveres, this honest, virtuous and pious man." 

Samuel Niles was first settled in 1699 at Block Island. 
He preached in South Kingstown from 1702 to 1710. 
He was settled at Braintree, August 23d, 1711. His first 
wife was a daughter of Peter Thatcher of Milton, whom he 
married in 1716. His second wife was Ann Coddington, 
whom he married in 1732. In 1745 he published a brief 
and sorrowful account of the churches in New England. 
In 1752 he published a vindication of diverse important doc- 
trines of Scripture. In 1757, "Scripture doctrines of Orig- 



60 BLOCK ISLAND. 



inal Sin." He also wrote a History of the Indian and 
French wars, which was published in the 3d series Mass. Hist. 
Coll. Vol. VI. His son was the Hon. Samuel Niles of 
Braintree, and the Rev. Samuel Niles, of Abington, was his 
grandson. The Hon. Nathaniel Niles of Vermont, who is 
said to have been born in South Kingstown, in 1741, was of 
this family. He was a judge, a member of Congress, and the 
author of ''The American Hero," a sapphic ode, which was 
set to music, and was the war song of the Revolution. 

The first Samuel Niles was first settled as minister at the 
Island in 1699, but did not remain there iii that capacity but 
one or two years, 

William G. Angell was born in a house, late the resi- 
dence of Josiah Sheffield, and which was removed by him 
several years since, a short distance to the west of its former 
site, where it is now the residence of Mr. Edmund B, Peck- 
ham. Mr. Angell removed to Burlington, in Otsego county, 
in the State of New York, from which place he was elected 
a representative in Congress in 1825, and was re-elected in 
1829. 

Gideon Olin resided in the same house, which was after- 
wards occupied by William G. Angell. Mr. Olin removed 
to and became one of the founders of Vermont, where he 
was a member of the legislature. Speaker of the House of 
Representatives, a Judge of the County Court, and from 
which he was elected to Congress in 1803, and re-elected in 
1805. 

Jeremiah Briggs and Nathaniel Briggs, long distinguished 
shipping merchants, under the firm of J. & N. Briggs, in the 
city of New York, were both natives of Block Island. 

The topography of this Island is peculiar ; it resembles 



BLOCK ISLAND. 61 



the sea running high before a northeast gale, and suggests 
that the IsUind may have been thrown up in some convul- 
sion of nature, and have taken its form from the waves 
which it penetrated. During the revolutionary war it was 
stripped of its trees. Its soil is fertile, and the enterprise of 
its inhabitants has carried culture to every hill-top, and there 
is little of its surface that is left to waste. The chain of 
ponds that extend across the Island is picturesque. But 
the most attractive place to me are the high banks on the 
south side of the Island. Those rude gray cliffs, which, since 
their creation, or possibly since the morning stars first sang to- 
gether for joy, have presented their bared breasts in battle 
array to the sea and storm, always had a mysterious attrac- 
tion to me. In my youth no neighboring dwelling or other 
intrusion came to interrupt the converse of the surrounding 
scenes with the soul of the solitary visitor. There I saw in 
the swelling and recession of the mighty bosom of the sea, 
the respiration of God in nature ; there in the calm and lull 
of the elements, I heard "the still small voice" fall upon my 
ears, wooing from above all that was good within me, and in 
the thunder and earthquake shock of the storm, I have often 
stood, almost paralyzed, under the spell-binding influ- 
ence of the warning voice thus coming from that Pow- 
er which had aroused the wrath of the forces of nature, and 
was breaking forth in the war of the elements. There I 
have seen the strong ship which had traversed every zone, 
crushed by the power of the ocean wave as if her sides were 
but wisps of straw, and been impressed with the utter pow- 
erlessness of man to contend with him who holds the sea in 
the hollow of His hand, and with His will directs the storm. 
Then there, when the reason wearied in grappling with these 
higher thoughts, gave way, the mingling of memory and the 



62 BLOCK ISLAND, 

musings of the imagiaation peopled the mind with creations 
of the fancy moulded in forms of loveliness and beauty, the 
genial companions of an ardent and hopeful youth, took pos- 
session of the soul, but then departed forever at the sum- 
mons to encounter the hard realities of active life, and left 
no trace of their existence but the remembrance of the en- 
thusiasm they had aroused. 

I have gleaned the facts which I have here narrated 
from the obscure records of this ancient township, 
from the colonial records, from books that are accessible, and 
from those that are almost inaccessible, from ancestral grave- 
stones and private papers, from traditions, some of which I 
listened to, and read even before I could comprehend their 
import, from a knowledge of every field, and an acquaintance 
with every family which has inhabited this Island for the last 
fifty years. And I have been stimulated to these investiga- 
tions by the fact that the blood of the founders of this Island 
has descended to my children, and that I first saw the light 
on the territory consecrated by the privations and toil of the 
settlers of this lovely Island. 



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